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2012 Nissan 370Z
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
16 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 21, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (75% of complaints, typically reported near 29k miles).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#1 of 402Among the 2012 models with a matured record, the 2012 Nissan 370Z ranks #1, scoring higher than 100% of them. See the 2012 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2012 Nissan 370Z, plotted where owners report it happening.
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Transmission & drivetrain
75%12 complaints · typically near 29k mi
“I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON JUNE 27TH OF 2017, DRIVING FROM VANCOUVER,WA TO PORTLAND, OR. AS I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY INTO THE EXIT TO MY WORK THERE WAS A STOP LIGHT. I PU…”
Airbags
19%3 complaints
“THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. MY AIRBAGS NEED TO BE REPLACED THEY TOLD ME. ARE NOT WORKING. MY CAR WAS TESTED AT DEALER ALSO.”
Engine
13%2 complaints
“I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY CLUTCH PEDDLE SLOWLY KEPT GETTING GOING DOWN AND NOT COMING UP. THEN I WAS A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AWAY FROM MY HOUSE AND IT WAS COMPLET…”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Nissan before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- Owners of this model report transmission & drivetrain problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 29k miles). Has this car shown any transmission & drivetrain symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident, and can you share a title history and any service records you have?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Nissan 370Z beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2012? See how every 370Z model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Nissan 370Z against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.